Temp-Tek believes that it owes its effectiveness to the fact that it has remained small. Throughout history there have been stories of the 'little guy' running circles around the larger and seemingly more powerful adversary. There is, of course, the story of David and Goliath - and Sir Walter Raleigh outsmarting King Philip II with his much larger Spanish armada.
Roy Embling, the sole owner of the company has been involved with instruments since leaving school. He worked for the original Cambridge Instruments in Finchley in England where he completed a five year apprenticeship making, designing and developing many of the mechanical and electrical instruments which were the forerunner of today's little microprocessor miracles.
Temp-Tek has remained focused on remaining small and sharp, keeping a staff of highly trained individuals, resulting in an effective team. "Once a company becomes too large the customer loses individual attention and personal contact with the sales staff," says Roy Embling, the sole member and owner of Temp-Tek. "Back-up and service is vital. We often have calls after-hours and over weekends," says Embling. "Our customers know we are available 24/7, even for urgently required equipment. By keeping Temp-Tek small to medium sized, we minimise the overheads and pass the benefits on to the customer in the form of lower prices and a more personal service."
Hardware supplied
The CN-40 48 x 48 m microprocessor-based digital, self-tuning temperature controller is arguably one of the most cost effective Japanese manufactured temperature controllers on the market today. It has one main relay/SSR PID output and one alarm. This is soon to be coupled with the new J4 controller with a main output plus two alarms or it can be configured as a heat/cool motorised valve output with full PID action on both directions, with one alarm.
The CN-40 controller is used in many applications. One example is the efficient temperature control of small ovens and incubators. One customer in particular orders upwards of 200 units a year for just such an application. Other applications are the control of barrel temperatures on plastic injection machines. The alarm facility on the CN-40 allows the customer to control the barrel temperature with the main output and switch on a fan should the friction forces of the plastic or rubber cause a thermal runaway.
"With the careful selection of the right alarm function such as the deviation alarm function, the controllers alarm will always 'float' a few degrees centigrade above the main set point, thus saving energy and maintaining accurate temperature control," says Embling, himself well-versed in the majority of different control applications.
"Another big use for the CN-40 is the monitoring of bearing temperatures," Embling also comments. "The two relay outputs are ideal for monitoring alarm and trip conditions. The first relay output can warn the operator that a dangerous condition lurks around the corner and he has time to rectify the situation. Should the alarm go unheeded, then the motor or pump can be shut down automatically.
Temp-Tek also offers the full range of DIN-sized controllers in the TTM-000 series. These precision temperature/process controllers come as standard with IP66 protected front faces that resist the ingress of water, dirt oil and other destructive mediums.
These instruments are available in six sizes ranging from 24 x 48 mm to 96 x 96 mm and on the special 'S' version Temp-Tek offers the choice of multiple retransmission outputs and/or Modbus/RS485 protocol plus an ultra-fast 250 mS sampling time and 'ramp-to-set point'. The controllers have a choice of all standard outputs including relay, 4 to 20 mA, 0 to 10 V d.c. and motorised valve control.
TTM-004 controllers are currently enjoying good use in fast food outlets in South and southern Africa. The TTM-004 was selected for this very demanding application because of its toughness and resistance to oil and detergent. One big consideration was the very high ambient temperatures the controller had to work in. Other temperature controllers were considered but failed to match the demanding criteria.
The TTM-509 controller is the most sophisticated controller on offer from the TOHO stable. This, 96 x 96 mm controller has multiple input and output options allowing the customer to configure how the inputs and output relate to each other. The device can be configured for working as a remote set point, cascade controller - or having a retransmission output. The controller can accept up to five digital inputs or have five relay outputs or any combination thereof. A data storage facility and/or remote programming option are available. Temp-Tek says that the TTM-509 is an assault on the 'high end' market, where it competes with controllers three or four times the price.
Rack mounted instruments are becoming more and more popular and to meet this demand TOHO has introduced the TTX-700 rack DIN rail mounting controller. Each instrument has two inputs each with one main output with the option of having an additional two alarms. These units are all interconnected and can have serial communications. The TTX-700 have been used very successfully in a number of plants where available space is at a premium.
Ramping and soaking controller
The TTM-304 is tiny and well suited to running the programmes of small industrial, dental, ceramic and jewellery furnaces. Additional relay or event outputs can be retro-fitted to give alarms, events (such as closing contacts after a delayed time) or 'end-of-cycle' outputs.
This is a versatile controller, its many uses and popular demand has resulted in a sizeable level being kept in stock. In fact, Temp-Tek keeps an airconditioned stockroom filled with all of its major lines. The airconditioning ensuring that these items remain in mint condition.
Digital chart recorders
For keeping track of process history, Temp-Tek offers the TRM-10C microprocessor-based digital charts recorder. The TRM-10C six Point, single pen or two pen continuous recorder is a compact, programmable instrument with an IP65 sealed front door to keep out the dirt, and large digital display of the point being monitored. The paper chart is easy to read and to store. Unsophisticated work force operators can see at a glance if temperatures are holding or if levels are beyond stipulated limits. A powerful feature allows almost any input to be programmed into any pen, thus allowing the user to have thermocouple on one point and various inputs on the remaining points of a dotting recorder. The unit costs less than the conventional six point recorder with only has a single range input and no digital display or information printed on the chart.
More temperature/humidity control and recording solutions
All in all, Temp-Tek offers a comprehensive range of sophisticated controllers and recorders for most types of industry. The above serve only as a sample of the controllers, recorders and instruments available from Temp-Tek. Within the range there are also solid state relays, thyristors, humidity monitoring equipment, pressure transducers, timers, simple on/off analog controllers etc. can be found. Most of which, like the TOHO range, are in stock and never more than a few hours away from delivery if needed.
| Tel: | +27 11 465 8066 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.temptek.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Temp-Tek |
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